Weird Waters

Artichoke and almond water will compete to be the next coconut water, which has dominated the beverage aisle for the last several years. Disruptive innovators like Arty – a California-based artichoke water manufacturer – are showing promising signs of changing the hydration landscape. Once you wrap your head around the idea of drinking flower buds, you might agree it actually tastes good.

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Foodie Fights

Investors are hosting pop-up restaurants and food incubators in tricked-out shipping containers complete with bars and restrooms and letting diners vote with their forks in search of the next big food chain. Chobani recently opened the call for interested entrepreneurs in their first foray into food incubation, taking place in New York City, where they will select up to 10 startups to participate in the first round.

Photography by: Ben Wiseley

Cricket Flour

Before you dismiss this with “ewwww,” hear us out. Celeb chefs like René Redzepi have been touting insect eating, called entomophagy, for ages for their highly sustainable, rich source of protein. In fact, eating bugs is commonplace in many countries and only in the Western world is it considered gross. Now crickets are creeping into natural foods in everything from baked goods to chips. With 13 grams of protein per 100 grams, cricket flour has over half the amount chicken has. Try Brooklyn based Exo bars while you warm up to the idea.

Green Cuisine

With the legalization of marijuana establishing a toehold in the US with Colorado, Alaska, Oregon and Washington now legally lighting up, entrepreneurs are coming out of the woodwork with creative edible marijuana brands. Located in Boulder, Colorado, the SRG is at an advantage to keep an eye on the “budding edible marijuana trend.” Cannabis-infused edibles such as cold-brewed coffee, hot chocolate, beef jerky and peanut brittle are just some of the products starting to pop up on store shelves in legalized states.

Herb & Spice-Infused Ale

A recent shortage of hops due to the popularity of craft beer has pushed brew houses to get creative; many have found cheaper ways to flavor beer by infusing spices, herbs and bitters in the place of hops. Mushrooms, lavender, grapes and rosemary are just a few ingredients borrowed from the food scene finding their way into bottles.

Mucho Matcha

Matcha carries a long history as a Japanese tea, but the crushed green tea beverage also packs a serious health component with off-the-chart levels of antioxidants L-theanine and beta-carotenes. Nielsen predicts we’ll be seeing a lot more matcha in cold brews, premium drinks and convenience beverages. The SRG's 2015 Culinary Trends report touts it as “this year’s go-to energy and wellness beverage,” just with less caffeine and a lot more nutrients than green tea.

Ugly Produce

Gone are the days of grocers turning away imperfect produce. Campaigns to reduce waste that celebrate funny looking fruits and veggies are proliferating. “People around the globe are uniting to find new ways to reduce food waste,” says Nielsen. “Efforts are already underway here to raise awareness to this issue and to find resourceful ways to manage our food supply and feed the hungry at the same time.”

Next-Level Asian

Spunkier, spicier and fattier, the new wave of Asian food flavors is more regionally inspired and no longer as generic as the endless sweet, tame and friendly Pad Thai renditions of yesterday. According to Kara Nielsen, culinary director at the Sterling Rice Group (SRG), chefs are digging deeper with unapologetically spicy Northern Thai, Japanese and Filipino fare at restaurants like Night + Market Song in Los Angeles and Brooklyn’s Bar Chuko.

Cranberry Protein

While whey still makes up 50% of the powdered protein market, cranberry protein is increasingly sharing more shelf space with whey and soy-based powders. A great option for those with allergies, cranberry protein is also a good source of fiber and omega fatty acids, but contains less protein per serving than its competitors. Try Nutrativa Global Cranberry Protein Powder – it contains 51% fiber and 25% protein per serving.

When deciding what to place where in the fridge, there are two main issues to consider: functionality and food safety. Chef David Barry, associate professor of culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America, shares his expert guidelines for organizing your fridge to incorporate the best of both elements.